1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system, print control device, and information processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often the case that not only PC terminals but also mobile terminals such as smart phones are used as client terminals. Hence, a print system that executes print processing desired by a user who operates a mobile terminal through a print instruction given from the mobile terminal to a Web server for providing a print service via a network is contemplated.
In the print system using a mobile terminal, a mobile environment where a mobile terminal is located changes. Thus, a Web server for providing a print service may need to provide a function complied with the environment where a mobile terminal is located. For example, image forming devices having a print output function, which exist around a mobile terminal, are different depending on the location where the mobile terminal is located. Thus, the Web server needs to cause the mobile terminal to collect information about image forming devices which exist around the mobile terminal, acquire information about the image forming devices, and then cause the mobile terminal to display a selection screen for the image forming devices serving as print output destinations based on the acquired information.
Processing required to be executed by the mobile terminal is not limited to processing for collecting information about image forming devices when a Web server provide a print service. For example, a Web server needs to cause the mobile terminal to execute a print setting or upload a document file to be printed.
Here, a print system is assumed in which a Web server for providing a print service is located on a cloud network (under a cloud environment) as a print control device. In the cloud environment, the Web server cannot autonomously access to a mobile terminal (information processing device) which is located on a local network. This is because any access from the cloud network to the local network is limited by a firewall. Thus, the communication between the Web server and the mobile terminal is executed in a format such that the Web server responds to an access from the mobile terminal. In other words, in a normal environment, it is difficult for the Web server to execute the function of the mobile terminal so as to collect information required for provision of a print service.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-171214 discloses a telephone function execution method in which a client receives data including a link from a server on a network to a local server and then transmits a request to the local server depending on the link selection to thereby cause the local server to execute a local function (telephone function). The local function is a function that is provided in a client located on a local network.
In the telephone function execution method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-171214, it is necessary to build a Web server local to a client. Since rich resources such as a memory or the like are required for building a Web server, a Web server local to a client is inappropriate as a component provided in a mobile terminal having a strict restriction for resources. Thus, it is necessary to provide a print system which is capable of providing a local function execution instruction from a Web server to an information processing device such as a mobile terminal having a strict restriction for resources so as to feed client information back to the Web server.
Here, a print system in which a mobile terminal downloads a script (e.g., JavaScript (registered trademark)) from a Web server and then calls a module for executing a local function, i.e., a processing execution unit with the downloaded script is contemplated. However, the scheme for calling the local function with the downloaded script is a scheme based on the assumption that the functioning of a mobile terminal is performed under a specified platform such as Android v2.2 or the like, which is inappropriate under consideration of the versatility of OS installed on the mobile terminal. Such an undesirable circumstance may occur not only in a print system but also in any information processing system such as a scanner system or the like.